The American Seabed Protection Act would prohibit mining activities on the deep ocean floor and the Outer Continental Shelf (the area extending from U.S. coastal waters into international waters), while allowing only scientific research exemptions. The bill affects mining companies and any federal agencies that would issue permits for mineral extraction in these areas. Within 90 days of passage, the Secretary of Commerce must contract with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a comprehensive environmental study of seabed mining's impacts on marine ecosystems, including effects on fish and other marine life, sediment plumes, noise pollution, carbon storage, and potential alternatives to seabed mining. The bill is based on findings that deep seabed mining poses significant risks to ocean health and that current scientific knowledge is insufficient to fully understand these risks, citing international agreements and United Nations sustainable development goals on ocean protection.
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